Sharp drop in sugar production, co-op body cites infestation, premature flowering

This is a significant drop and deviation from the figures issued by India Sugar Mills Association (ISMA) another industry body whose first estimate for the season was of 272.2 lt

The only silver lining in the picture is that the upcoming crushing season of 2025-26 is expected to be a good one with ample cane availability (Archives)

The National Federation of Cooperative Sugar Factories Sunday issued its latest sugar production figure pegging the final figure at a modest 259 lakh tonnes (lt) for the sugarcane crushing season of 2024-25.

This is a significant drop and deviation from the figures issued by India Sugar Mills Association (ISMA) another industry body whose first estimate for the season was of 272.2 lt.

The sharp drop in sugar production in the three major producer states of Maharashtra, Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh has seen the production figures take a downward hit this crushing season.

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The sugar season of 2024-25, the federation said, has been plagued by frequent revision of production figures by various agencies.

ISMA, the body which represents the private sugar millers mostly from North India, had in July estimated production of 272.2lt of sugar post diversion of 20.30 lt for production of ethanol. However that now looks unattainable as the production figures from the main three states have taken a serious hit.

In its press statement issued on Sunday, the federation stated that heavy infestation of ‘Red Rot’ and “Top Shoot Borer “on the sugarcane variety of Co-0238 , which covers the majority of the sugarcane area in Uttar Pradesh, and the premature and massive flowering of the standing cane in Maharashtra and Karnataka resulted in stunted growth and had adverse effects on sugar yield.

“Due to the elections in Maharashtra, the new crushing season started after November 15, 2024 and the Karnataka government also issued an order for commencing crushing after November 15. If the sugarcane crushing in these two states had started on October 15, a more dire situation would have emerged,” the statement read.

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Given the fluctuation in production figures, initially the central government had agreed for a 0 lt export quota. Most mills in Uttar Pradesh have sold their quota to the ones in Maharashtra who would undertake the physical exports.

Harshavardhan Patil, the president of the federation, stated that barring some mills in Uttar Pradesh crushing operations would be completed in all other states by March end.

“Mills in Uttar Pradesh would end their season by mid April,” he said .

For mills in Maharashtra the short 83 days crushing season, Patil said, would have economic effects as for a mill to be financially viable minimum of 150-160 days of crushing operation is necessary.

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The only silver lining in the picture is that the upcoming crushing season of 2025-26 is expected to be a good one with ample cane availability.

Parthasarathi Biswas

Partha Sarathi Biwas is an Assistant Editor with The Indian Express with 10+ years of experience in reporting on Agriculture, Commodities and Developmental issues. He has been with The Indian Express since 2011 and earlier worked with DNA. Partha's report about Farmers Producer Companies (FPC) as well long pieces on various agricultural issues have been cited by various academic publications including those published by the Government of India. He is often invited as a visiting faculty to various schools of journalism to talk about development journalism and rural reporting. In his spare time Partha trains for marathons and has participated in multiple marathons and half marathons. ... Read More

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